Ohio summit to focus on energy and the economy

Published: September 18, 2011 3:23PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- What natural gas trapped in shale formations beneath Ohio could mean for the state's economy is one of the topics of a summit that will bring together experts, business leaders and regulators to help Ohio work on an energy policy for the 21st century.The two-day event, beginning Wednesday at Ohio State University, is aimed at finding ways for the state to better manage an issue vital for creating jobs and growing its economy, Gov. John Kasich said. He's hosting the summit with Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee and Jeff Wadsworth, president and CEO of Battelle -- a private research institute based next to the Ohio State campus."It's a very broad topic -- energy generation, energy usage, the environmental impacts and education," Wadsworth acknowledged to The Columbus Dispatch (http://bit.ly/oCO6Oy).The newspaper reported that Wadsworth's company does about $2.5?billion worth of research and development involving issues related to energy."How are we going to get the right people to come in and work on these important topics? It's obviously a very difficult topic," Wadsworth said of the task facing Ohio. "There's no silver bullet, no free lunch."The potential impact of unlocking the natural gas in the shale under Ohio is one of the subjects to be explored on the summit's first day. Ohio sits atop two different shale formations: the Marcellus and Utica Shales.Neighboring states have been drilling in the Marcellus Shale for several years, but Ohio hasn't seen the same level of activity.Opponents are pushing for Ohio to ban a form of drilling that injects chemicals into shale to release the gas. They say the chemicals can leak into groundwater and cause health problems, something drilling companies say there is no evidence of.Other issues on the summit agenda include coal; renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power; and alternative transportation fuels.Besides Wadsworth, other executives expected to participate include the CEOs of Ohio-based power companies FirstEnergy Corp. and American Electric Power, and representatives of the Detroit Three automakers.___Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com